Archive for October 14th, 2005

Now I'm at Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company in San Jose.  Drop by if you're around – I'll be here for some time. [Tags: onewebday]

The Chairman of the FCC, Kevin Martin, recently wrote a brief letter to Sen. Frist:

You asked whether Congress should consider the scope of the Commission's authority to implement content protection rules for digital broadcast radio together with the scope of the Commission's authority to do the same for digital broadcast television.  . . .

The increasing use of digital technologies by both radio and television broadcasters raises almost exactly the same content security concerns.  Thus, while I respect that ultimately Congress will decide precisely when and how to legislate in this area, to the extent that Congress provides the FCC with authority to address content protection over one digital broadcast platform, it would be helpful for the Commission to have similar authority over the other broadcast medium, as well.

The rationale behind the broadcast flag was that it was essential to further the transition to digital television.  Digital radio doesn't have the same policy framework.  But now the two are tied together.  If Congress goes along and gives the Commission the authority it seeks (details here), we'll be in a brave new world of ad hoc technical mandates for devices promulgated by the FCC.

I appreciate the “it would be helpful” phrase used by Martin.  Sure, yes, it would be helpful to have the broadest possible powers over all possible devices that have anything remotely to do with digital content.  And all applications.  And all online access routes.  And all uses of data in connection with those services.  We're the FCC, and we're here to help.

I was really touched by the Battelle post a while ago about his visits to Google.  Today I got to make my own visit to Google, and it was just great.

Google has a parking problem.  There are far too many Googlers for the spaces available (8X the previous population of the same buildings, in some cases).  So Google has wifi-enabled buses running back and forth from SF, and special carpool parking places.  Plus parking attendants busily shuttling cars around to make room for (and block) other vehicles.

Google has busy people.  So Google has breakfast, lunch, and dinner available for them, including a huge selection of designer waters.  Hey, if you're sensitive…

This problem-solving, smooth-the-friction approach has a lot to recommend it.  Combined with great visualizations (I saw the electronic version of the Google globe — beautiful), smooth interfaces, and an overall openness to doing good by users, it's irresistible.  I did not resist.  There appeared to be thousands of clever, bright-eyed people roaming around freely.  Yes, there were scooters.

One of the meetings I had was in an odd oval-shaped small conference room off the main lobby in the main building (there are many buildings).  It was a tight space, and the people in the room were tightly scheduled.  But they focused when they needed to, and we had a fine, short, tight brainstorming session.  Highly constrained yet effortless improvisation. Afterwards, I had to be careful to leave the room quickly right behind someone else — you needed an official employee badge to get OUT of that conference room. 

Lots of double monitors.  Bright colors.  Glaring sunlight.  Yoga classes glimpsed through the window.  Many many shared cubes.   

Soon I'll be back in NY, where it's raining.  I hope I can visit again.